Part of our project on the impact of Brexit on UK fisheries policy explores how the devolution settlement might be affected when the UK leaves the Common Fisheries Policy. This devolution question is important for a number of reasons, which I cover in a recent blog post for the Centre on Constitutional Change. One of these reasons is fundamental difference in the nature of the fishing industry across the UK’s four nations.
To help illustrate this, I’m slowly putting together a series of infographics on the nature of the fishing industry in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
- Differences in fishing fleet composition across the UK.
- Weight and value of fish landings across the UK.
- Top 10 species landed into UK ports.
- Internal boundaries of the UK’s EEZ.
- Location of catch.
1: Differences in fishing fleet composition across the UK
A high-resolution PDF version can be downloaded here.
2: Weight and value of fish landings across the UK
A high-resolution PDF version can be downloaded here.
3: Top 10 species landed into UK ports
A high-resolution PDF version can be downloaded here.
4: Internal boundaries of the UK’s EEZ
A high-resolution PDF version can be downloaded here.
5. Location of catch
A high-resolution PDF version can be downloaded here.
Q and A
Where does the data come from?
The data on fishing vessels and landings comes from the Marine Management Organisation. They publish a range of great statistics on fisheries - their annual sea fisheries statistics publication is well worth a read if you want to get an overview of fisheries.
The NUTS2 boundaries used in the second infographic come from Eurostat.
The EEZ boundaries in the fourth and fifth infographics come from MarineRegions.org, while the boundaries of the Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales zones come from the UK Hydrographic Office’s INSPIRE Portal.
The ICES statistical rectangles used in the fifth infographic come from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.
How did you make the infographics?
I used R to analyse the data and make the graphs. If you’re into that sort of thing, you can see my (rather cumbersome) code on GitHub. I then played around with the layout in PowerPoint until it all looked OK. The map in the fourth infographic was made using QGIS.
Can I use the infographics in my own work?
Yes. But please provide attribution.